Community right to bid

Community groups with this right are:

• eligible community groups
• local parish councils or local neighbourhood planning forums and charities can nominate properties.

A group will only be eligible to nominate if you can answer yes to the two questions below:

1. Do you have a local connection (for example, are the group’s activities wholly or partly concerned with Southwark or a neighbouring borough)?

2. Are you:
   • an unincorporated community group with at least 21 members who are on the Electoral Register in Southwark
   • a parish council
   • a charity
   • an industrial and provident society
   • a designated local neighbourhood forum
   • a company limited by guarantee (which doesn't distribute any surplus it makes to its members)
   • a community interest company?
      

A building or land has ‘community value’ if, in the opinion of the council:

• the current main (non-ancillary) use of the building or land furthers the social interests or social wellbeing of the local community
• it is realistic to think that there can continue to be a main use of the building or land that will further the social interests or social wellbeing of the local community, although not necessarily in the same way
• the main use of the building or land in the recent past furthered the social interests or social wellbeing of the local community and it is realistic to think that the building or land can be brought back into use in the future

After you submit your application, we'll check the eligibility of the nomination.

If the property meets the criteria it will be added to the list of successful nominations.

Assets remain on the list for five years.

We'll assess nominations within eight weeks of receipt.

A land charge will be registered against the property and the Land Charge notified of the restriction. 

You'll be advised that the property has been listed and the date in five years' time when it will be removed. When the five years have expired, you can submit a new nomination.

If we decide to list a property, the property owner can ask for a review. The decision to list the property will then be reviewed by an officer or officers of the council who did not take part in making the decision to be reviewed. Further guidance will be provided in the letter to the property owner.

If the nomination is not eligible, we'll let you know, with an explanation. The property will also be added to the list of unsuccessful nominations and stay there for five years.

You cannot appeal against the decision but you can make a complaint if you feel we haven't followed the correct procedure through the council's complaint procedure.

You'll be notified if your property is nominated for listing and if or not the nomination has been successful.

If the council decides that your property should be included in the list of assets of community value, you have the right to ask for that decision to be reviewed.

Read our listing review guidance notes.

In some cases, the property owner does not need to comply, for example, if disposing of a property:

• as a gift
• containing a business that uses the property and it is a going concern
• within a family or a partnership or between trustees or a trust or between companies in a group
• in the execution of a will or arising from various legal proceedings
• that is part of a larger estate, part of which is not listed, but where the whole estate is owned by the same person and is a single lot of land
• with less than 25 years leasehold

Localism Act 2011 (part 5 in chapter 3) sets out the nomination process for Community Right to Bid. 

The Assets of Community Value (England) Regulations 2012.

View lists of successful and unsuccessful nominations. 

A plain English Guide to the Localism Act

The Ivy House in Nunhead, London’s first cooperatively owned pub and the first building to be bought under the provisions of the Localism Act (Community Right to Bid). 

Send your nominations to communityrighttobid@southwark.gov.uk.